I have read the previous posts on the board about Japanese Vertical Jigging.

A customer just walked in my shop and asked me for a comment on the new Shimano Vertical Jigging rods for heavy duty salt water - tuna and large bottom dwellers. He is a bottom fisherman who fishes oil platforms in the Gulf. A local salt water shop has them for sale as replacements for conventional standups. I looked on the Shimano site and got the following -

It says the things are used for blue fin tuna where a sensitive and powerful rod is needed.

The picture looks like a graphite blank used for Mag Bass or similar with a trigger reel seat.

Shimano Trevala Jigging Rods

New for 2006, Shimano is introducing the Trevala Jigging Rod Series. This new series of rods is designed to be fished with the new Shimano Butterfly Jigs. This system stems from the extremely productive Japanese style jigging technique, combining lightweight, light action, yet powerful rods with high speed, high power reels, Spectra-type no stretch lines, fluorocarbon leaders and unique compact Shimano Butterfly style jigs with aggressive actions and free-swinging hooks.

227009 NEW! Shimano Trevala TVC-58XXH (5'8") - Casting
Extra Extra Heavy Power, Medium Fast Action
Line rating: 80-200lb., Jig Weight: 120-270 grams
Foregrip length: 8", Reargrip Length: 12.5"
Tip plus 8 Fuji Alconite Guides

The Torsa and Trinidad reels are pictured along with the rods. How can you put a Trinidad 50 on a trigger reel seat?

My customer wants to know are these things being used in place of conventional stand up blanks like Seeker Composite 55XXH. I am having difficulty comprehending how a blank like the one pictured ran replace the ones I am now using.

Are there any down sides that are not evident on the surface?

I must be missing something and I really would like to be able to discuss it with my customer in a reasonable manner. Is there any site that tells me more on the use of these things.

Maye Big John can save a lot of shipping cost for his halibut rods if he started building them on tiny tiny blanks. ???

Gon Fishn

Bill,

The butterfly blanks are more parabolic than the Seeker you referenced. There are a few options making their way to the market. We currently stock the Calstar Grafighter "GFX" butterfly blanks.

I'm about 95% that his Trini 50 will fit a Fuji Trigger, but I don't have one here to check! He may have to use it w/o the clamp though. I've got a buddy with a couple so let me make a call. I owe you a call too, so I'll try to catch up to you this afternoon.

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

Bill,
CTS also makes a dedicated vertical jigging rod for use with braided lines. I will be speaking with Stephen today and will discuss the specific layup differences between these and other tapers.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing Products

I am just confused about the logic. How in the dickens can a small appearing rod like a mag bass replace a tuna stick? There has to be something that I am missing. Todd Vivian referenced that Lamiglas has a line of heavy duty salt water jigging blanks but when you look at them the measurements and lines specs do not reference anything like the 200 lb line on the small Shimano blanks. Maybe Stephen can make some sense of this that we can benefit from. It just does not seem reasonable that a small rod like that can get a big tuna to the top of the water in less than a week or two.

We have to remember that the fish doesn't weigh anything in the water, they're neutrally buoyant right? So all we need is something that can move them our way as necessary to catch'em. I've bi-caught lots of salmon on light trout/walleye/ smallie gear and had no problems getting them to the boat with light lines as long as I can follow them.

I don't get why anyone would use a trigger with a non-levelwind reel, it gets in teh way and is a major pain in the butt.

The blanks are designed so the tip doesn't play a part in fish fighting. That basically shortens the length of the blank fighting the fish down to like 3 feet.

Just found the information that started my customers looking around. What do we do in the custom line to deal with this issue. Is this stuff for real and could these rods possibly compete with a typical standup for tuna and large bottom fish? What blanks could we use to build on that would give similar results - that is if the concept is realistic to start with.

[tackletour.com]

[fish.shimano.com]

Gon Fishn



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2006 05:56PM by Bill Stevens.

If you look real close at the line ratings on the Shimano rods, they are listed for braided spectra line, not mono.
Shimano markets this as a whole fishing system; rod, reel, line and jig. They also have a techinque for fishing this system. The rod is tucked-up in your armpit. So a rod with a trigger reelseat might help give you something to hold onto. The conventional reels of choice (per Shimano) are the narrow spool versions of the Trinidad and Torsa.
I have customers who would perfer a custom rod to fish this system, but when these rods retail between $120 and $150, how can you compete? The blanks I have found that have simular actions and power made for jigging rods cost more than the off-the-rack rod. This would be an ideal situation for a sprial wrap rod.

Bill feel free to call me at 6105917734 6am-230pm i will try to explain about a few of the imported blanks....i have on order(backorder) the lami CHJ 6650 and 6680 to try for jigging ..i have heard good things..the shamino seems to be good for entry level or smaller fish ..they can catch large but the other blanks may be more suited for bigger fish..the PSSM reel seat is standard on most of the jigging rods. they fit the ocea jigger , accurate and torsa reels very well....other reels will fit also. Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2006 08:31AM by paul reyburn.

How can you lay the line on a non-levelwind reel using a trigger seat? I tried the Palming seat on one of my rods, ONLY ONE of my rods, which I never ever use or plan to use and I cannot even sell, lol.

billy show me how to use VW and i show you how to put the line on LOL...give me a call ..are we going to get out this year?

I have done just enough searching to figure out I may have missed an opportunity to build some personalized technique specific rods that yesterday I did not know existed. Shimano is selling the new style jigging rod down here to catch amberjack. We sometimes fish large yellowfin tuna from an anchored boat with live or cut bonita in a chum streak. Fast action stand ups built on Seeker and Calstar have been the rods of choice. When the fish go down we are out of luck and think that the jigging technique may just be the ticket. I am hoping this style and these technique specific blanks may just be the tool we are missing to catch fish when the top bite stops. If we have to pull anchor while fishing over one of our offshore "lumps" we can get in deep trouble due to other boat congestion. Are these things stout enough to get a large fish to the side of a stationary boat in a reasonable time?

I am now going on a compatable small diameter powerful blank hunt. Evidently some of the builders on the east coast know about this stuff and are using "Jigging Master Blanks" successfully. There seems to be some varying opinions on the type of reel seat for this style of fishing and the palm support seems to be the one that most choose. Thanks Paul for you time this morning. After talking this over with you I do not believe a Mag Bass blank, i.e., like Batson's IMB 845 can be used as a substitute for some of the more expensive blanks that you described. I am now wondering if these rods are considered as reasonable replacements for the heavy stuff we are now using?

I would hope that some of the blank engineers would comment on the viability or disadvantages of this style of rod blank.

Gon Fishn

Bill..dont forget the new Tuna Max blanks will be avail also ..

Paul,
I have fished the CHJ blanks myself and they perform well. This series was designed for the butterfly jig type application. We have been building the rods for over 3 years and have had nothing but positive feedback.
I'm sorry to hear these blanks have been back ordered to you, I checked our orders and we have none on backorder here.

Todd

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

todd. thank for the reply i will call merrick and ask, i just got canceled check back so i was hoping to get blanks soon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2006 02:54PM by paul reyburn.

Todd I just saw your post on this thread - thanks! Can the jigging type equipment built on small diameter blanks compete with the conventional stand up tuna sticks fished from a stationary boat?

Bill

Bill,
follow this link and view the video labeled "Speed Kills". You will get a better idea of how these rods are used. This video was made last may when we were in Costa Rica.

[www.laptewproductions.com]

Todd

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

Todd i dont think bill wants to know How they are used as Much as IF they are capable to handle Bigger fish without chasing the fish with boat

This is my question Todd: Are these things stout enough to handle a 150 # yellowfin without pulling anchor and chasing the fish down. When our top bit stops in the chum line I am wondering if this type of equipment could be used to do deep and effectively get a large fish to the boat. The Shimano Trevelas are being sold for amberjack and I do not think they are stout enough for big fish without being able to chase them down.

We put up some posts and information a while back about vertical jigging. They are way back in the forum list. We sell vertical jig blanks that are red hot in Japan right now. Sushi Sticks.

Here is the original link to them [www.ackfishing.com]

They are unique and different if you read the specs. Prices are not all that bad either.

e-mail us at sales@ackfishing.com, or call 866-285-0673